Flavours of the coast

Nestled in a corner of MRC Nagar, Chennai, Kokum is a restaurant that glimmers like an uncut diamond to the trained eye. Forgive the flowery description, but one look at this quiet, simple, rustic yet gorgeously stylish place and you will echo my sentiments exactly.

The beautiful exteriors are well complemented by a faux pool of gilded marigold flowers, roses and ornate carvings. The traditional ‘kuthuvilakku’ or brass lamp, which finds pride of place at the entrance, brings back memories of a house in Kerala.

The sight that greets you first as you enter this delightful abode is that of warm, smiling stewards and cheerfully plump women making snow cloudesque milky-white appams, sinfully soft paniyarams and more. The whiff of fresh seafood and tender coconut leave a lilting aroma through the air. And then there are the sculptures that adorn the restaurant. Replete with carvings from Kerala in the form of a catamaran, Kokum also houses art work from Karnataka and Mangalore.

Okay so enough already about the interiors already...let’s get to the food shall we? By now, you should have guessed that Kokum serves coastal cuisine from the south. The menu is extensive and has the description of key spices and what properties they hold. Quite an interesting read when you are waiting for your food and do not have table conversation to make (At least this is how I leveraged the menu to benefit me!)

Spend some time with the master chefs here and they will patiently explain every single dish and what goes in to it with lots of love and care. There are also a host of signature dishes such as the Sannas (Goan idlis), Chicken Xacuti, Prawn Balchao, Gongura Mutton, Karimeen fry etc to choose from.

As we made our way to the table and sat down for a bit of banter and whole lot of food, we were greeted with an array of chutneys and podis that were placed at the table. Then, we were served complimentary banana dosa that melted in our mouths and made us hungry for things to come.

Our order at Kokum comprised Murungukkai (Drumstick) soup, Appams, nadaan kozhi curry, Non-Vegetarian thali with chicken curry and veg thali.  The Murungukkai soup was heavenly with instant clearing properties for a sore throat. The thali was served on a shiny silver platter with a banana leaf and consisted of a Kerala parotha, Vegetable Kurma, Cabbage kootu, Beetroot Poriyal, Papads, Pickle, Vengaya Vella Poondu Kozhambu (onion and garlic curry in tamarind sauce) and potato gravy. While the dishes are common to both thalis, the non-veg version comes with the option of either a chicken or fish gravy, both of which are simply divine. The thali also comes with Sambhar, Rasam and heaps of rice. The best part? Everything is unlimited…ever heard of too much as a good thing? Well, this one only keeps getting better.

One delightful aspect about the food here at Kokum is that you know everything is prepared with a lot of care. The appams, which is what my colleague ordered, was served piping hot and the chicken curry that went along with it was a silken treat. A special mention must go out to the pineapple pachadi - fresh, piquant and absolutely delightful, this one is a must have! Stuffed to the gills, my companions politely refused dessert, but me being the glutton that I am, I shook my head profusely when the steward approached me. And boy! I wasn’t disappointed. The ada pradhaman (jaggery, coconut milk and rice flour slow cooked to form a kheer) was a delightful version of namma chakkara pongal.

My final hypotheses? Kokum is a great place for a business meal or if you want to introduce expats to coastal cuisine. It is also an awesome place to take your family and friends and enjoy fare that is cooked to perfection. If this is what coastal food tastes like then maybe, just maybe I should think of relocating?